Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>When Do Toddlers Nap On Cots/Mats?
Miss Suzanne 08:11 AM 02-27-2016
I have 2 infants, considering accepting toddlers also.

I have adult kids, things are so different now! My state guidelines say 12 months and up can nap in crib or mat.

What age can I realistically expect a toddler to nap on a cot/mat? What is your personal experience for toddler naps?
Reply
Annalee 08:16 AM 02-27-2016
Originally Posted by Miss Suzanne:
I have 2 infants, considering accepting toddlers also.

I have adult kids, things are so different now! My state guidelines say 12 months and up can nap in crib or mat.

What age can I realistically expect a toddler to nap on a cot/mat? What is your personal experience for toddler naps?
Mine go on mats at 12 months.
Reply
Miss Suzanne 08:26 AM 02-27-2016
Originally Posted by Annalee:
Mine go on mats at 12 months.
I was hoping for 12 months, but sometimes I think I have high expectations. Thank you!
Reply
Annalee 08:31 AM 02-27-2016
Originally Posted by Miss Suzanne:
I was hoping for 12 months, but sometimes I think I have high expectations. Thank you!
I find the mats much easier because pnp takes up so much room and it is only used for naptime. As soon as I can take that pnp down, I am happy.
Reply
kitykids3 08:32 AM 02-27-2016
For me it depends on the child. If they lay down and go to sleep good then as early as 12 months. If they're one of the ones that plays around a bit, then they move to a mat when I feel they will not play around too much and lay down and sleep. I have 2 girls that turned 2 in November and a boy that will be 2 next month. The boy and only 1 of the girls are on mats. The other girl is still in the crib cuz she plays for a half hour before going to sleep.
Reply
Jazzii 04:56 PM 02-27-2016
Originally Posted by kitykids3:
For me it depends on the child. If they lay down and go to sleep good then as early as 12 months. If they're one of the ones that plays around a bit, then they move to a mat when I feel they will not play around too much and lay down and sleep. I have 2 girls that turned 2 in November and a boy that will be 2 next month. The boy and only 1 of the girls are on mats. The other girl is still in the crib cuz she plays for a half hour before going to sleep.
A lot of our kids transition to 1 nap before the age of 1. Our average age for mat training is 10 months. My little brother who comes to my daycare was sleeping 2+ hours on a mat at 9 months.... lol

Depends on the child for sure theres a 3 year old iwant to put in a crib from time to time lol. In my state 2 years is the max age for cribs
Reply
AnythingsPossible 08:17 PM 02-27-2016
I just transitioned a 12 month old to a cot for nap time this past week and it has gone very well. Generally I wait till 18 months and have never really had an issue. I have another little one who will be a year in May and plan on moving him to a cot at that time as well.
Reply
renodeb 09:16 PM 02-27-2016
12 months seems so young to sleep on a mat. Where I live the regs state 18 months old and older but most kids I have had aren't really ready to go on a mat until about 20 months old.
Deb
Reply
Controlled Chaos 09:52 PM 02-27-2016
12 months
Reply
Play Care 05:18 AM 02-28-2016
Originally Posted by Miss Suzanne:
I have 2 infants, considering accepting toddlers also.

I have adult kids, things are so different now! My state guidelines say 12 months and up can nap in crib or mat.

What age can I realistically expect a toddler to nap on a cot/mat? What is your personal experience for toddler naps?
Honestly I find it depends on the child. I've had some do well at 15 months, others I wait until closer to 3

But I'll be the first to admit that some of my kiddos are exceptionally stubborn and I refuse to spend months redirecting a toddler back to the nap mat when I can hold off until they are old enough to understand to stay on the mat. Thankfully I live in a State that doesn't reg when we have to switch.
That said, if you are starting toddlers, you could probably get them right on mats from the get go. It will mean a few weeks of sitting right with them for nap time probably, but then no PNP or cribs necessary.
Reply
Blackcat31 08:00 AM 02-28-2016
Originally Posted by Miss Suzanne:
I was hoping for 12 months, but sometimes I think I have high expectations. Thank you!
I begin transitioning to a mat in the 12 month.

95% of my kiddos are fully transitioned by 13 months.

I DO have high expectations for my kids but parents have such low expectations that I think it balances out.

Plus the kids have shown me that they ARE capable so I just keep doing it the way I have been doing it and so far after 2+ decades, all of my kiddos have been successful at learning to sleep on a mat by 12-13 months.

I am sure I've had a few that have been more difficult than others but that's the way it is with anything.
Reply
BabyMonkeys 04:23 PM 02-28-2016
Originally Posted by Play Care:
But I'll be the first to admit that some of my kiddos are exceptionally stubborn and I refuse to spend months redirecting a toddler back to the nap mat when I can hold off until they are old enough to understand to stay on the mat.
Some fights are not worth having. I NEED that nap break. I know for a fact that one of my 26m would be nearly impossible to keep on a mat, unless I physically held him there. No thank you! I can just hope that by the time he outgrows his pnp he will be able to stay on a mat.
Reply
midaycare 06:38 PM 02-28-2016
I have various size pnp's. Some are really big. My kiddos generally aren't ready until they are 12-18 months. But there are exceptions. I have a 20 month old who prefers the pnp and cries on the mat, begging for the "bed". And I have a very active almost 3 year old that has to be in another room, in an oversized pnp or he will wake the entire house up. He just won't sleep unless he has no other options. And when given no other options, he can sleep for 2 hours easily.
Reply
KSDC 04:51 AM 02-29-2016
I had one child that was a horrible napper in the PnP. I moved her to the mat at 12 mos and she has been an angel ever since.

For those who keep them longer, be sure you are following the manufacturers recommendations on ages and weight/height. I know that in my state we are required to keep the paperwork that goes with the pnp and it can be part of our inspection.
Reply
Unregistered 09:12 AM 02-29-2016
And for those who move them sooner be sure you are following any licensing laws.
Reply
Jazzii 09:14 PM 03-05-2016
Luckily for us, regs only state max age for cribs, we can't use pack and plays. Kids have to be out of the crib by 2, if a child starts between 16-18 months we skip the crib entirely
Reply
Tags:cots, mats, toddler bed; nap mat; bedding; pvc, transitioning - cot, transitioning - crib to cot, transitioning - pnp to cot
Reply Up